Overview

• Zeteo published an interview in which Christian Smalls recounts joining nearly two dozen people aboard the Handala to deliver aid to Gaza.
• He says Israeli soldiers boarded the vessel and turned it back, describing emotional distress at being less than 60 miles from Gaza.
• Smalls alleges seven officers put a knee in his back, pulled his hair, and used his jewelry to choke him.
• He reports that conditions deteriorated after transfer to Israeli authorities, describing harsh confinement for him and his crewmates.
• He characterizes the boarding commandos as heavily armed and criticizes U.S. taxpayer funding for equipping them.